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What are some commonly known facts that are too bizarre for you to believe to be true? (lemm.ee)

submitted 1 year ago by zirzedolta@lemm.ee to c/asklemmy@lemmy.ml

488 comments fedilink hide all child comments

For me it is the fact that our blood contains iron. I earlier used to believe the word stood for some 'organic element' since I couldn't accept we had metal flowing through our supposed carbon-based bodies, till I realized that is where the taste and smell of blood comes from.

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[–] Iraglassceiling@hexbear.net 53 points 1 year ago* (last edited 1 year ago) (23 children)

The birthday paradox

If you get 23 people in a room the odds of two of them sharing a birthday are 50%

The birthday paradox is a veridical paradox: it seems wrong at first glance but is, in fact, true. While it may seem surprising that only 23 individuals are required to reach a 50% probability of a shared birthday, this result is made more intuitive by considering that the birthday comparisons will be made between every possible pair of individuals. With 23 individuals, there are (23 × 22)/2 = 253 pairs to consider, far more than half the number of days in a year.

[–] WoofWoof91@hexbear.net 22 points 1 year ago (8 children)

it's not part of the paradox, but there are also days when people tend to have more sex
like new years, valentines, christmas etc. (in the west at least)
so you tend to get more people born 9 months after those days

[–] Iraglassceiling@hexbear.net 3 points 1 year ago (1 children)

I listen to This American Life also.

[–] WoofWoof91@hexbear.net 7 points 1 year ago (1 children)

i don't know what that is

[–] Iraglassceiling@hexbear.net 7 points 1 year ago (1 children)

! I just assumed, lol

They have an episode where they talk about the birthday paradox and then follow it up with talking about how the math isn’t 100% correct as applied to humans bc birthdays aren’t normally distributed.

https://www.thisamericanlife.org/630/transcript#:~:text=A%20simple%20way%20to%20think,those%20two%20share%20a%20birthday.

[–] WoofWoof91@hexbear.net 7 points 1 year ago

ah, fair enough lol

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